Midnight Wanderings
by Winchestnuts
Summary: Draco Malfoy often can't sleep, at night for various reasons. He spends a lot of time exploring the castle at night. Sometimes, he even runs into Luna Lovegood.


1994

Luna Lovegood walked along the empty corridor; eyes half closed, arms limp by her sides and bare feet blue with cold. Her footsteps were silent as she shuffled along, dreaming of Nargles and Wrackspurt, and her hair, fine and silky, glinted a soft, pale blonde in the glimmering moonlight.  
From the shadows came a boy, dressed from head to toe in black robes. He almost brushed past her, believing her to be just another student sneaking around school after hours, a common occurrence at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, though few professors knew of these midnight activities. However, a buzzing in his ears felt just as he crossed her path made him stop in his tracks, drawing in a sharp intake of breath. He realised that she was asleep, wandering around the castle as though in a dream. Most of the boy, Draco Malfoy, wanted to laugh, as he imagined what would happen if Peeves caught her, but the rest of him, the small section of his mind still in touch with emotions, felt a sudden sense of sorrow, dreading any danger that could come across her. This part won out against the rest of his mind, and Draco, having heard of the problems with waking sleepwalkers, lifted her up gently.  
_What am I doing?_  
Brain screaming at him to stop, drop her and run away, he set off, striding forwards, before realising with a shock that he had no idea what house she was in. Worried about being caught by a prefect carrying an unconscious girl around the castle at night, he stopped, held Luna against his chest with one hand, and pulled out his wand with the other. He balanced it on his palm, whispering softly 'Point me,' and watched as it whirred around in circles, before settling down, with the tip of the wand facing to his left-north. Unfortunately for Draco, the thing immediately to his left was a wall.  
He swore quietly, looking back and forth along the corridor, to see if a helpful door was lurking a little way from them. No such luck, but there was something there, a light of sorts.  
'Who's there?' called a gruff voice, 'You can't hide.'  
It was Filch-of course. Grabbing Luna and cradling her against him, so as not to wake her up, Draco ran as silently as possible down the corridor, fleeing the angry caretaker and his cruel ways. He didn't care if the Filch caught him, but what if...  
He looked down at her innocent face, so serene and strange, and knew that he couldn't let that mad squib hurt her. He would sooner die.  
_Is this the kind of honour father speaks of?_  
Draco collected his wits, slowing to a jog and looking around, wondering what he was going to do. Finding himself in the charms corridor, he walked slowly forwards, the flickering torches casting amber shadows which fluttered across Luna's face, making her look even more beautiful.  
_Where now? Shall I just hold her until morning?  
_The idea didn't seem so repulsive to Draco, not anymore.  
The castle (which was believed by most to have its own magic) had other ideas; from the classroom beside him, a silver woman floated, flying right through him. Draco shivered. It was The Grey Lady. Seeing Draco, she put a finger to her lips and with her other hand gestured for him to follow. Suspicious, but desperate, having realised the lack of logic in his previous plan, he walked along behind her, wishing she would break this silence.  
_Maybe she can't speak.  
_Together they travelled, boy and ghost, through the school, him darting behind statues to avoid prefects, her gliding ahead, checking the way. At last they arrived at the Ravenclaw tower, where The Grey Lady indicated for him to place him at the top of the stairs.  
'Will she be safe?' asked Draco.  
She nodded, smiling slightly.  
'Thank you.' Draco gently set Luna down upon the landing, glancing up at the eagle shaped knocker which seemed to glare at him, as though sensing his lack of belonging. He began to turn away, but, knowing he would never have this chance again, he leant down and pressed his lips gently against Luna's forehead.  
'I'll look after her,' said a small voice as he walked away. He looked back, but the ghost had gone, leaving him with the eerie echo of her words.  
Silent as a snake, Draco Malfoy slipped away into the darkness, without another word.


End file.
